𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟔: 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐅𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜é
Mabel had her mouth agape and couldn’t close it
“I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?”
“Well, you see, Mabel-sama’s new fiancé is going to visit Eakes soon…”
“…What do you mean by “new fiancé”?”
Several days after the Wiski invasion incident, Mabel, who had become Eugene’s official fiancée, was called to the royal palace. She was told it was an urgent matter, but she didn’t expect to be summoned to the office and hear this.
“Actually, we had originally chosen someone as Mabel-sama’s fiancé candidate. . .However, communication with that person, who is from a distant country, hasn’t been going smoothly. And then, there was Travis’ proposal…”
“To have a masked mage as a fiancé to protect you from Wiski, right?”
Indeed, the bald man who bowed apologetically and lowered his head was Reed, the chief advisor. He was currently in charge of the parliament in place of Travis, who was under arrest for the crime of foreign aggression against Eakes.
“Yes. It was our short-sightedness that caused Mabel-sama a great deal of distress. We sincerely apologize.”
“N-No, it’s, it’s fine”
As Reed said, Mabel’s engagement had started as a result of a plot by the parliament.
However, Mabel couldn’t bring herself to blame Eugene, who was standing there feeling down, considering that she was able to meet with Eugene thanks to this arrangement.
“That’s enough about that. But I am officially engaged to Eugene-san. Could you please decline the new suitor for me?”
“W-Well, you see, the suitor is His Royal Highness, the Prince of Kytha. A messenger arrived a few days ago, saying that he had already set sail towards here.”
“From Kytha? Crossing the sea just for this?”
Eakes and Kytha were from different continents; a great distance separated them.
Kytha is said to be the most prosperous country in that region, known as a commercial powerhouse.
It enjoys a warm climate and abundant agricultural products, and I’ve heard that it has a different civilization from Eakes. However, due to the obstacle of the sea, the interaction between the two countries is still limited.
Certainly, if he is coming from Kytha, there may be some miscommunication. But the issue at hand is different from the fact that Mabel has a new suitor.
“Of course, I would be happy to receive a greeting. However, I have no intention of getting engaged to anyone other than Eugene-san. Could you please convey that properly?”
“Y-Yes.”
Mabel bowed her head, then stood up straight and left the room.
‘A new suitor? It feels a bit too presumptuous.’
Suppressing her frustration, Mabel walked briskly down the long corridor of the palace.
It couldn’t be helped that there was a delay in communication with Kytha, but why didn’t they immediately decline the other party when Mabel’s engagement was decided?
It was rumored that the parliament, now without Travis’ intellect, was still not functioning properly. But to think that Mabel’s engagement was still being involved in all of this.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Mabel sighed. Then, she heard her younger sister, the first princess, Gertrude, calling out to her from the other end of the corridor.
“Mabel, it’s been a while.”
“Onee-sama! How have you been?”
Ah, Gertrude returned a refreshing smile. She was still radiant and dignified. Her glossy black hair, tied up behind her, suited her male attire perfectly. There was no man who could match her in appearance or swordsmanship.
“I heard you came back, so I was going to your room, but are you leaving already?”
“Ah, yes. I have to prepare food.”
“Mabel’s cooking is so good. Eugene-dono is lucky.”
By the way, Gertrude continued.
“I’m really grateful for your help the other day. If possible, I would like to thank Eugene-dono directly. Could you let me know when he can come here or when I can visit?”
“W-Well, um…”
But after thinking for a while, Mabel hesitantly spoke.
“Well, Eugene-san is not very comfortable going out in public or meeting people. He prefers to avoid encountering others as much as possible, so it might be difficult.”
Eugene, who is also Mabel’s fiancé, is a very rare mage in the world. They are generally seen wearing masks, hence they are sometimes called Masked Mages.
Though not widely known, due to the influence of their magical powers, they all have incredibly beautiful faces. It would be fine if it were just about appearances, but in reality, when you see their true faces without the masks, it has a captivating effect, making one’s heart enchanted or even losing consciousness.
That’s why Eugene rarely shows himself in public. It is also the reason why Mabel doesn’t bring her personal maid to the castle.
Upon hearing Mabel’s response, Gertrude lowered her gaze slightly, looking a bit lonely.
“Well, if that’s the case, there’s nothing we can do. If there’s a chance, please convey my regards to him.”
“Understood!”
One good thing about Gertrude is that she accepts such situations without saying anything. Mabel felt grateful for her sister’s kindness, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, and decided to hurry back home.
Eugene’s castle is located deep in the forest beyond the outskirts of Eakes.
When Mabel first came to meet Eugene, it was a challenging journey, struggling through the forest, getting covered in wounds. At that time, she thought it would be a one-time thing, but now that she has become his official fiancée, she will have more opportunities to travel between the castle and the royal palace.
Every time she entered the forest and got covered in mud, Mabel was troubled. However, Eugene had set up teleportation circles for transportation.
There were magic circles installed at the entrance and exit of the forest. When Mabel stood on one of them, she could pass through to the other magic circle.
It condensed space to zero distance, making it easier for transportation and supply of goods, or at least that’s what Eugene explained. Mabel didn’t fully understand the principle behind it.
As Mabel passed through the magic circle with a familiar gesture, she saw several figures near the castle.
‘Why are there so many people?’
Eugene had cast a magic spell on the forest, allowing only those with special permission, such as merchants with business in the castle, to pass through. Mabel was the only one who could use the magic circle.
Upon closer inspection, she noticed Cero, who always brought food supplies to the castle, among them.
If that’s the case, they must be from the trading company, Mabel wondered, tilting her head. As she did, one of them noticed her presence and approached.
He was a tall man, with tanned skin. Well-toned muscles adorned his arms and shoulders, giving him a physique comparable to knights and soldiers.
His hair was a bright dull color, a mix of silver and white, and his irises were a beautiful orange, like the sunset sinking into the sea. His straight nose accentuated his handsome features.
He wore clothing with geometric patterns and loose sleeves, which were not commonly seen here. Unusually for a man, he also wore colorful earrings.
He had a colorful cloth wrapped around his head, and at the end of the string that tied it, small glass beads in shades of light blue and purple swayed.
When the man saw Mabel, he smiled, revealing a set of perfectly aligned white teeth.
“So, you must be Mabel. I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve come to pick you up. Let’s return to Kytha together.”
Saying that, the young man took Mabel’s hand and pretended to lightly kiss the back of it. Surprised, Mabel quickly withdrew her hand.
“W-Who are you?!”
“What’s the matter? Hasn’t the message reached you? I am Amane Hiragi. I am your fiancé.”
In front of Mabel was the face of a man with narrowed eyes and a lifted corner of his mouth, leaving her speechless.
Blinking her eyes a few times, she slowly began to process her thoughts.
‘Engagement? Does that mean this person is the infamous Prince Kytha?’
The man, who introduced himself as Amane, seemed to notice Mabel observing him and once again carved a refreshing smile on his face.
“I heard you were here. They said I needed a guide to get through the forest, so I asked that man over there to show me the way.”
Mabel looked towards the man referred to as “that man,” Cero, who appeared exhausted. He weakly smiled at Mabel.
Today was not the day for him to come to the castle, so Mabel silently hoped in her heart that he hadn’t been forcibly dragged out by Amane.
‘Or rather, I didn’t hear anything about him coming to the castle!’
Furthermore, it seemed that news of Mabel’s engagement had not reached him.
Mabel, who was in a state of confusion, cleared her throat and realized that she needed to convey her message properly.
“I heard about the conversation with Kytha earlier. However, I’m truly sorry, but I already have an arranged engagement with another fiancé. I appreciate your effort in coming all this way, but could you please return to the palace?”
Upon hearing this, Amane narrowed his eyes.
“I know.”
“Yes, so please– You know?”
“Yes. I overheard people speaking about this matter at the harbor. You haven’t gone through the formal engagement ceremony yet, have you?”
“Not yet, but–Wait, so you do know I have a fiance!.”
“What on earth is all this noise about?”
As Mabel desperately tried to steer the conversation back on track, a loud flapping sound echoed above her. Immediately after, Eugene, wearing a black mask, landed next to Mabel.
Upon witnessing the sight of a person flying in the sky, Amane seemed momentarily speechless. However, he quickly regained his composure and confronted Eugene with a cold gaze, provoking him.
“Could it be you’re the Masked Mage Eugene?”
“Who’s this guy?”
“He’s Amane-san, who came from Kytha. But now is not the time for introductions.”
“Perfect timing. Eugene, I challenge you to a duel!”
Mabel paled, wondering what he was about to say. But her unpleasant premonition came true as Amane thrust his fist toward Eugene.
“I will propose to Mabel. I will make her fall in love with me more than you and take away the position of the official fiancé!”
Mabel closed her eyes in her mind.
However, sensing an unusual pressure emanating from beside her, she timidly turned to look in that direction.
There, she saw a sinister and eerie aura rising from behind Eugene. It was clear that he was filled with anger.
“Oh, really.”
Soon, the golden eyes behind the mask narrowed like a predatory beast.
A graceful smile even appeared on his lips, and as Mabel observed Eugene in anticipation, she let out a deep sigh.
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